Our People
Central to GHI's successful operation is its Board of Trustees, comprised of experienced professionals with diverse backgrounds—including earthquake science and engineering, international development, architecture, law, finance, and urban planning, among other specialties—and with longstanding ties in academic, business, and government sectors. GHI's Board of Advisors is a group of international experts in the earthquake risk of developing countries; they provide technical guidance to GHI and occasionally participate in GHI projects.
GHI's staff, who carry out the organization's day-to-day operations, are well-educated professionals with wide-ranging experience and expertise related to natural hazards risk mitigation. GHI's administrative costs are low because its staff is small in number and highly motivated, having witnessed the consequences around the world of both earthquakes and effective earthquake preparation.
Shirley Mattingly
"In managing responses to fires, floods, and earthquakes in California and the Pacific, I have seen lives shattered, families separated, and neighborhoods turned to rubble. This experience taught me that human suffering can be greatly lessened through measures we already know and understand. I work with GHI to apply my experience where it is needed most."
Former Director, Region IX
U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency
Lahaina, Hawaii
L. Thomas Tobin
"I've stood in Armenia on a spot where a school had stood just a week before—and 600 children's lives were lost. This experience drove home the need to blend the human dimension with the traditional economic view. GHI offers a solid, realistic approach to change, one devoid of political, financial, or religious agendas. In working with GHI, I have the opportunity to save tens of thousands of lives."
Former Executive Director
California Seismic Safety Commission
Mill Valley, California
